Cold floor?

[Ashes]

So when I was changing something in Little Dude's enclosure, I noticed the moss feels cold when wet. The ambient temp in the tank is never below 81-82 during the day and never below 76 at night. Under the basking light I think reaches 90-95. I have a CHE (not turned on all day right now because I need a thermostat - is on all night, though, and keeps it at 76). Here is the enclosure (minus the real plants - replaced them with fake due to probable pesticides and fertilizer used):

I DO have a digital reader now, too, for temp/hum, not the ones in the picture anymore.

So - anything I should do about cold moss? Is the substrate too cold do you think (I use Eco Earth)?

 

[Yvonne G]

that's actually a very beautiful habitat, but if it were mine, I'd get rid of the moss and go with coconut coir.

I use sphagnum moss inside my babies' hiding places, however, there is a seedling heat mat under the substrate under the hiding places, so it's always quite warm in the moss.

 

[Ashes]

that's actually a very beautiful habitat, but if it were mine, I'd get rid of the moss and go with coconut coir.

I use sphagnum moss inside my babies' hiding places, however, there is a seedling heat mat under the substrate under the hiding places, so it's always quite warm in the moss.

Thank you very much! I was sad to remove the real plants in the picture and replace them with fake - it just doesn't look the same. and the Eco Earth is a coconut substrate - is that different from the coconut coir you mentioned? And I hadn't used a heat mat as I was worried about making it too hot (I'm not sure how they work). Maybe I could do that under the log and put some moss in the log. I had it (the spag moss) in there for humidity reasons mostly - heard it was good at helping with keeping humidity up. If I do the mat, should there be a specific amount if substrate between that and the top where s/he hides?

 

[Ashes]

So I just got home from work and decided to switch his rock and log around - the log was on the cooler side of the space so I moved it where he could go in it on the warmer side of his home - I put some moss in and behind it for him. Anyway, the substrate is nice and toasty - not hot, but nice and warm so I will stop worrying now.

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Oh sorry - one more quick question!

The coco floor is not dry but there's no puddles or anything like that. However, if I push down on it enough with a few fingers, it produces water (like a sponge if that makes sense - no water visible unless you "wring" it). It's warm, but I'm not sure is that's too wet? I don't want him to get shell rot or anything...

 

[Whitneyrae]

This might be a really dumb question.....is your log pushed up against the glass on the back side? I wanted to have mine like that and was worried she would go in and wouldn't be able to turn around or back up, so it's just in the middle kind of awkward.

 

[christinaland128]

This might be a really dumb question.....is your log pushed up against the glass on the back side? I wanted to have mine like that and was worried she would go in and wouldn't be able to turn around or back up, so it's just in the middle kind of awkward.

Whitney my log is against the side of the enclosure and they get out just fine. In fact, they seem like little Houdini's! Sometimes when I try to pull them out of hiding to soak and eat, it's like finding buried treasure! Good GRIEF they hide well!

 

[Whitneyrae]

Izzy can completely bury herself! They are definitely little escape artists
Can you find the naughty tortoise?

 

[Ashes]

Lol! My little dude is small enough to turn around, but yes it's up against the glass. He doesn't bury himself like that, though! Oh my goodness! lol!

 

[christinaland128]

Haha! No Lol!!

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I have these little huts for them to hide in. And they go waaay deep in there! Too funny!

 

[Ashes]

Took me a while, but she's over by the plant, right?? You can see just the edge of her shell! Lol. Love it!

 

[christinaland128]

Took me a while, but she's over by the plant, right?? You can see just the edge of her shell! Lol. Love it!

Lol haha now I see her!

 

[lynnedit]

It looks great. Eco earth is coir, so you are fine there. As long as the surface of the substrate isn't sopping, and there are not big puddles of water when you move it aside, the moisture is fine too.
Placing the moss here and there as you have done will help retain moisture.

You can repot your real plants in topsoil (just shake off most of the soil-leave a little root ball). Then water well and wait a week or two. They should then be perfectly safe to put in. I just submerge mine in the pot, right in the soil.

Just move your temp probe around here and there and verify that you are happy with the temps.

 

[Ashes]

I will certainly move it around - I'm curious the temp under the basking light and at the other end of the terrarium. Thank you!

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I will also try to repot. I felt bad - he went to the fake jade plant and tried to eat it.... Finally realized it's rubber and walked away after trying about 5 times in different spots..